Fortune Confirms Verizon iPhone

Fortune magazine today has joined the cavalcade of mainstream media outlets which have confirmed that a Verizon iPhone is in fact a certainty. It’s coming in 2011, according to Fortune, which joins the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal with its confirmation and news of the early 2011 release date.

Fortune confirmed the rumor today in an article focused on Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg, but used the yet-to-be-released phone, and the impact it could have on Verizon as a company as a lead-in. Apple fans hungry for iPhone network options will want to direct their attention to the end of the first paragraph, where the magazine offers: “Fortune has confirmed that a Verizon iPhone will be released in early 2011.” It doesn’t mention a source or sources.

If there’s someone whispering in the ear of major players like the WSJ, the NYT and now Fortune, which is part of CNNMoney, then you can bet it’s not a rogue source crossing Jobs and risking firing or worse to do so. It’s a calculated leak designed to whet the appetite of American consumers, though when it comes to a Verizon iPhone, people are already famished enough.